Horses need wide open spaces for them to have fun, especially foals who develop better bone density and tendons with lots of turnout.
Here we have the beautiful filly foal, April, who is just 3 months old. I just love watching her!
She seems to be having the time of her life just running around without a care in the world.
You can’t help but be in awe just watching horses run. Despite the power of their stride, horses always seem to carry with them such majestic grace.
No wonder they’ve always been the animal of choice for many royals through centuries.
And as if April’s baby antics weren’t enough, the sound of the wind in the background seems to emphasize all the more that this baby girl is a power to contend with even at such a young age.
In the video, you can see April show off her gallop, canter, trot, and a few of her own moves!
But what is the difference between horse gaits? Let’s take a quick look.
Table of Contents
Horse Gaits 101
Did you know that horses actually have different types of gaits? (1) While we are so used to equating the word “gallop” with horses, horses are also known to do the following: walk, trot, and canter or lope.
Moving Up to Speed
Horse gaits are used to describe the speed at which horses move but also how their feet leave and hit the ground as they move. Walking is the slowest gait, followed by trotting.
Cantering is the next fastest. Lope is also a canter that western riders use and is usually slower than a regular canter.
And they hit their top speed, galloping!
Horses can move at such amazing speed. In fact, at full speed, a horse can run up to 40 mph (64 kph)! It’s no wonder why the term “horsepower” was coined.
ALSO CHECK: WILD HORSE TRAINING SESSION
Just Beat It
Gaits are also described according to the beat made by the horse’s legs whenever he performs a particular gait. (2)
The walk is four beats, meaning the horse moves each leg individually. The trot is two beats, which is a little more complicated to explain for this short article.
The canter is three beats, and then we come full circle but at a much faster pace, to the four beat gallop.
In fact, did you know that at one point during each gallop stride, all four of the horse’s feet are off the ground at the same time? Pretty cool? No?
April shows off several gaits in this video. Can you spot which ones and the beats of each?
Resources
- 1. Horse Rhythms and Movements from Walk to Gallop and in Between | Equimed – Horse Health Matters [Internet]. EquiMed. Available from: https://equimed.com/health-centers/behavior/articles/horse-rhythms-and-movements-from-walk-to-gallop-and-in-between
- 2. Single Post | myhorseuniversity [Internet]. myhorseuniversity. My Horse University Online Horse Management; 2017. Available from: https://www.myhorseuniversity.com/single-post/2017/09/25/Natural-and-Artificial-Gaits-of-the-Horse
Siun is an all-around animal lover, with a passion for horses. She grew up in the United States, competing in the hunters, equitation, and jumpers. Now living in Ireland, she competes with her own showjumping horses. She is experienced in the care and training of horses, as well as teaching riding lessons. She loves to combine her love for horses with her work. When not working, Siun will be found at the stables, rain or shine.
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